The Power of Green
by DJ Frost
Summary: After the bombs go off Jake isn't the only Green to return to Jericho.
1. Chapter 1 revised

**Disclaimer**: Nope don't own Jericho but Essie's mine

**Summary**: After the bombs go off Jake isn't the only Green to return to Jericho.

**A/N**: OK so I'm following the timeline of the show starting in the middle of "Fallout". I'm changing some things but most of the major events/facts stay the same. No major pairings cause I really don't like writing them. I am a few chapters ahead so hopefully my updates won't be to far apart. Well enough my rambles. Enjoy!

**The Power of Green**

_Chapter One_

The storm rumbled in the distance as a lone vehicle made its way on a country road, speeding towards the town of Jericho. The driver was a young woman, about 20 years of age, and she had a worried look on her face.

Esther "Essie" Green pushed down harder on the gas as she thought about the events of the day before. It started out like any other day. She had been taking a nap in her apartment in a nearby town when a neighbor began pounding on her door. When she saw the mushroom cloud a feeling of dread set in the pit of her stomach and has yet to leave. She packed up her few belongings and headed towards her former home at breakneck speed. Although by the sound of the car she should have grabbed some extra gas first.

"No no no, come on baby don't die on me now." It was no use, her car slowed and after sputtering a few times finally stopped. The young women sighed; this day was not starting well. Reaching across the seat she opened her glove compartment and pulled out a revolver which she had "borrowed" from a neighbor. In her years of travel she realized it best to err on the side of caution in situations such as these. After checking to make sure it was loaded she tucked it in the back of her jeans.

Grabbing a duffle and backpack from the trunk she began the rest of her travel on foot. She could hear the storm getting closer and realized that she would never make it to town before the rain hit and something told her that she didn't want to be caught outside in a storm following a mushroom cloud.

After looking around she could see that she was near the Richmond farm. _Hopefully Bonnie and Stanley will be home. I would hate to have to explain why I broke in._ Essie slowly trudged up the hill towards the two story yellow house and was contemplating what to tell the brother and sister, who were close to her family, of her sudden appearance when she spotted a Sheriff's vehicle parked outside the house.

Not knowing what to expect the young woman ran the rest of the way to the farmhouse and, after making sure her gun was covered, made her way to the front door and knocked.

***

*Knock-knock*

Emily Sullivan jumped slightly as she heard the knock on the front door. The two "Deputies" were still in the kitchen with Bonnie after she had _accidentally_ spilt coffee on one of their hands. She had slipped the revolver from the frame and was debating what to do next. She had no idea who these men were but they were not Jericho Deputies, they may have even killed the sheriff.

When she led them here she had hoped that the Richmond's would not be home. Her heart sank when she saw Bonnie come around the corner. The kid was sweet and she didn't want her to get hurt. Emily spent these few moments alone pondering what to do next. Should she wait it out and see if the men would leave peacefully or should she attempt to force them?

*Knock-knock*

Emily quickly stood up and was about to turn away whoever was at the door when one of the imposters came around the corner.

"I'll get it miss." He said with what was supposed to be a polite smile but just made her feel even more uneasy. "Can I help you ma'am?" The man asked answering the door.

"Yeah, is Stanley or Bonnie home?" That voice, it can't be. Emily slowly walked over to the door to get a look at the visitor and what she saw made her gasp in surprise. Standing in the door way was a young woman around 20 years old and about 5" 10 with long brown hair. Unlike Emily's stick figure this woman had an athletic build and an easy expression on her face; which was a bit unusual given the previous days events.

"Essie?" the name was just whispered but it caught the woman's attention. A shocked expression crossed the girls face but was quickly replaced with a tight smile.

"Hey cuz. It's been a while."

***111

_Why did it have to be her_. Of all the people to run into on her first day back she wasn't prepared for it to be Emily. Things hadn't been good between the two when they last saw each other and Essie wasn't sure how to act. By the looks of it Emily was having the same thoughts.

"Essie!" The deputy moved out of the doorway just in time for the girl to see a pink blur before it crashed into her.

The young woman laughed as she pulled the younger girl off of her. "Nice to see you too Bonnie." The two started signing back and forth in a flurry of hands.

_You didn't tell me you were coming back._

_I wasn't planning on it but after the bomb I wanted to check up on everyone._

_Where were you living this time?_

_Close. _

_Did you meet anyone?_ Bonnie was grinning at her knowingly but before she could answer someone cleared their throat interrupting their conversation. It was one of the deputies.

"Miss, I would suggest you get on home now before the storm hits. Looks like it going to be a big one." The man had a polite smile on her face but Essie could see that he just wanted her gone.

"Well, I would except that my car ran out of gas a ways back. I knew I wouldn't make it to town in time so here I am." The brunette said indicating her bags. "And you are here because?"

"Well we're waiting for the young miss's brother to come back with the key to the gas tank." The Deputy replied, sounding relaxed but looking anything but. Essie just smiled back.

"Well you can probably bet he'll be back before the storm."

"Where've you been Esther?" Finally getting over her shock Emily, while still being aware of present company, couldn't help but ask the question that had been plaguing her mind ever since Esther Green disappeared four long years ago.

"Didn't know you cared so much Emily?" Essie knew she was being childish but she couldn't help it.

"Didn't care?" Emily was shocked. "Do you have any idea how long we looked for you?"

"Stop it." Bonnie interrupted. "Let's eat." She took Essie's hand before anyone could protest and dragged her into the kitchen were she had been cooking, Emily and the deputies followed right behind them.

They all found a seat around the table while Bonnie brought the eggs and sausage. The deputies began filling their plates right away with an urgency which made Essie think that they hadn't eaten in a while. She threw a quick glance at Emily who seemed deep in thought, and not just over her cousins sudden return to Jericho.

Before Essie could ask about it Emily quickly stood up and excused herself to the bathroom. It seemed as if the deputy didn't want to let her out of his sight but did so grudgingly after she told him where it was. Right before she turned the corner Emily sent her and Bonnie a worried look. Essie, who might have been suspicious before now took the time to take a closer look at the 'deputies' around her.

Both the men had a scruffiness about them that she didn't see in most deputies and now that she thought about it their behavior was a bit off as well. They flinched as the slightest noise and were always looking around as if suspecting someone to jump out at them at any time. If Emily's look meant what she thought it meant then these guys were not apart of the local law enforcement.

"So Deputies," Essie said getting the men's attention. "What brings you to this lovely farm?"

"Like I said our car's low on gas same as your's." the dark haired one said. "We picked Miss Sullivan up on the road and she said we could get gas here." Essie nodded. She vaguely wondered what direction they were heading being so close to town yet out of gas.

Essie began trying to figure out the best course of action. If her suspicions were correct Emily was probably using the radio in the Sheriff's vehicle to try and contact someone in town but that could work out very badly for them. Essie glanced at the walkie that was lying on the table. It was set on channel 8 which meant that Emily had seven channels to check before they found out what she was doing.

The impression of the revolver pressing into her back became more pronounced the longer she waited. Bonnie kept her eyes on her plate and the 'walkie' guy kept looking up the stairs waiting for the blonde to return. When she didn't after five minutes he grabbed his walkie and headed up the stairs to check on her. Knowing that her cousin was soon to be found out Essie decided that it was time to get in a better position away from the other imposter.

"Bonnie." Essie knocked on the table to get the deaf girls attention. _When the time come's run. _Bonnie seemed to be thinking the same thing because she agreed without question.

"Hey what'd you say to her?" the two girls looked at each other.

"I just asked her if she wanted me to clear the table." Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. The man still looked suspicious but let it go as Essie began to clear the table of the unused dishes.

Right as Essie set the dishes on the sink the deputy with the walkie came rushing down the stairs yelling at his partner, the gig was up. Bonnie took this as her sign and made a dashed for the door, the man just a few feet behind her.

Essie didn't take time to think. She pulled her gun on the remaining deputy. "Freeze."

***

Meanwhile, Emily was having her own stand off outside.

"You don't want to do this miss put the gun down." Emily was standing by the trunk of the car having just found the missing deputies and was pointing the borrowed gun at the man who was now using Bonnie as a human shield. "All we want is gas, that's all this is about." The man began to slowly remove his weapon from the holster.

"Don't move, please." Emily's voice was weak and her hands were shaking. The man continued to pull his gun out and was about to point it at Bonnie when a gunshot went off in the house surprising the armed man giving Bonnie a chance to escape his grasp.

"No!" Emily screamed. _Essie? _The man swung around to face her when another gun went off causing Emily to jump. The imposter in front of her fell dead and Jake Green came running across the porch towards her.

"Emily, are you alright?" when she didn't respond he cupped her face in his hands forcing her to look at him. "Emily?" The door to the house banged open making Jake spin around, gun up.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot! It's me!" The young woman came down the steps with her hands up. Getting a better look at the other girl Jake did a double take.

"Essie?!"

"Jake?" The two were in equal shock as they stared at each other. Essie, recovering first, smiled grimly as she tucked her gun in the back of her jeans. "Well this isn't quite the family reunion I had pictured."

Before Jake could say anything there was a crack of thunder over head. "Everyone in the basement, now!" Jack ran to the trunk and began untying the two deputies while Essie led Bonnie and Emily to the basement. The men limped down the steps and closed the door just as the rain began to fall.


	2. The Four Horsemen pt 1 revised

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho but Essie's mine

A/N: ok, so I realized Essie's relations may be a bit confusing so here's how I have it. Essie's Mother was Jonah Prowse's sister and her Father was Johnston Green's brother. Emily and Jake are not related so their history is the same. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, reviews welcome!

**The Four Horsemen Part 1**

The rain continued to fall outside the Richmond house in heavy pelts, soaking everything it touched in mere seconds. Having no other option but to wait until the rain cleared the basements occupants had no other choice then to get comfortable and hope it passes quickly.

Essie and Bonnie found a corner away from everyone else and started signing. Bonnie was still freaking out over being used as a human shield, Essie couldn't blame her. Her thoughts drifted to a time when she had been in a similar situation but she quickly snapped out of it. Now was not the time.

_I was so scared._ Bonnie signed, holding back tears._ Then when the man let me go Emily was almost in tears. Then he fell to the ground dead and Jake was there. What happened in the house? Where is the other man?_

Essie turned away, the whole scene playing before here eyes…

"**Freeze!" The imposter spun around, shock covered his face as he spotted the gun. "Don't move."**

**Recovering quickly the man smiled. "Now come on miss, you don't want to do that." He moved slowly away from the table, his hand spread out. "You're not going to pull that trigger. All we want is gas and we'll be on our way, no one gets hurt." **

**Essie hadn't moved since she pulled out her gun. The feel of the cool medal in her hands felt so familiar yet disgusting. She kept her gun trained on the man as he moved towards the living room. "I mean it man, stop." He must have heard the indecision in her voice because he stopped moving, he posture became more confident. He quickly reached for his gun and there was a loud bang.**

The details became fuzzy for her after that. The next thing she remembered was walking down the steps towards Jake and Emily. Looking up she could see Bonnie sending her a worried look.

_The other man won't be a problem any more._ More tears welled up in the younger girl's eyes. It was time for a change of subject. _Anything new happen since you last wrote?_

_One of the boys around town has been following me._ Her cheeks turned a light shade of red._ He tries to talk to me but I've been ignoring him._

_The boy must like you. You should talk to him._

_Stanley would kick his ass._

Essie smirked. She had no doubt the elder Richmond would do exactly that if he caught any guy talking to his kid sister. _Where is Stanley anyway?_

_He went out to help our cousin put his livestock away. He should be home soon. _

_Maybe he stayed at your cousin's place to sit out the rain._ Bonnie shook her head.

_He said he would be right back._ Essie began to worry. If Stanley was out in that rain and it was radioactive…

_Bonnie, there's something you should know about the rain._

___

_Meanwhile on the other side of the room…._

Jake watched Bonnie and Essie as they signed. He could only make out a few words but he knew Bonnie was asking about what happened in the house. He had heard the shot go off in the house before he took out the other prisoner and after seeing Essie he could guess what had happened. He took a closer look at his cousin. She wasn't freaking out yet and she didn't look like she was in shock only a faint trace of regret. The lack of reaction made Jake worry.

Though he had only been back a day Jake had heard about his cousin's disappearance not a year after his own. Having lived under the same roof as her for most of her life he knew her better then his own brother and couldn't help but wonder what made her run away. He was the reckless one, the screw-up. Seeing her now, having supposedly just killed a man, he regretted more then anything not keeping in touch. The two of them used to be so close ever since she came to live with them after her parent's death and she and Emily used to be inseparable. But now she wouldn't even spare the two a glance.

Jake sighed and turned his attention back to Emily. She had stopped shaking but that long distance look hadn't left her eyes. "Em?" The school teacher looked up as if just remembering that there were more people in the room.

"Sorry, what?" Jake smiled a little.

"I was just wondering how you were holding up?"

The blonde shrugged, letting some of her frustration show. "How am I supposed to be holding up?" she asked in a low voice so not to let the others overhear. "First you come back, then a bomb goes off in Denver, my fiancés still gone, and now she's back." She said, indicating their brown haired cousin. "And then those men, it's just a little too much to handle right now." Jake stayed silent letting her rant. They've all been having a hard time the past couple days it didn't help that he had to kill a man right in front of her.

"So that's really Esther?" Jake turned around to where Bill and Jimmy, the real deputies, were sitting on the stairs. Emily answered that it was. "Man," Jimmy said shaking his head, "She grew up. Has she said where she's been?"

"No, we really didn't have much of a conversation because of…" she trailed off, the men understanding what she meant.

"Well, I guess her timing was pretty good." Bill said with a slight smirk. "What do you Greens have some sort of psychic connection or something? Showing up within a day of each other? And right when the bombs go off?"

"Nah, we're just trouble magnets."

"Jake?" he turned around to find Bonnie and Essie standing right behind him looking worried.

"Yeah, Bonnie?"

"Stanley's still out there. He doesn't know about the radiation." Jake's breath caught in his throat. If the rain had enough radiation in it and if Stanley was out in it for to long… Jake didn't even want to think about.

"It's going to be okay Bonnie, I'm sure he found shelter and is staying there until the rain stops."

"He's out in the middle of the country Jake," Essie said frustrated, "What shelter is there?"

"Not helping Es."

"Just trying to keep it real, you wouldn't want to give the girl false hope now would you?" Jake looked at her sharply.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The brunette just glared at him before walking back to her side of the basement. Jake sighed in frustration. He turned back to Bonnie who thankfully missed most of the conversation. "Just stay calm and after the rain has stopped will find him ok?" Bonnie nodded sadly and sat down with Emily who took over the job of trying to comfort the girl.

Jake turned his attention back to his cousin who was now reclining in an old chair with her eyes closed. She looked almost peaceful but Jake knew that she was upset. He walked over to the empty chair next to her and sat down. "So, I've heard that I haven't been the only one who's been away." Essie didn't even open her eyes.

"Nice seeing you too Jake. Wow, what's it been? 5 years since I've last seen you?" _OK so maybe that wasn't the best subject to start out on._

"Do you want to talk about what happened in the house today?" The girl finally opened her eyes but refused to look at him. "Essie, please talk to me."

"What's there to say?" Her eyes never left the ground and her voice became filled with built up emotion. "We found out that they weren't deputies. I figured Emily was outside on the radio trying to get help. After Bonnie and the other one ran out of the house I pulled my gun on the last guy; told him not to move. He went for his gun anyway and I shot him."

Jake swore under his breath. He put his hand on her shoulder hoping to comfort her but she tensed and pulled away. No matter what she was feeling now she still didn't forget the betrayal she felt when he left. Jake seemed to understand because he didn't push it. There was one thing that was bothering him though…

"Where did you get the gun?" Essie looked up at him.

"Hey, a girls gotta protect herself right?" She said it as a joke but the truth of that statement was still clear in their minds. Jake smiled, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Well I think most girls would go with mace or something." Essie laughed and Jakes smile widened. It felt good to make her laugh again.

The tension was only relieve for a few seconds however before a there was a loud thump above their heads. The two Greens jumped to their feet.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked.

"Someone's in the house." Jake, as well as the two deputies, pulled out their guns and set up around the basement door. Jake turned around to tell the girls to get back when he saw that not only did Essie have Bonnie and Emily corralled by the back wall but was holding her own firearm as well ready for anything. He felt a sudden surge of pride and sadness seeing her 'ready for anything'.

There was more movement upstairs. Whoever it was they was heading in their direction. They heard the door open and a large set of boots could be seen making their way down the steps.

"Stanley!" Bonnie cried in relief. There was Stanley Richmond, soaked to the bone and looking like he just ran the marathon. Bonnie rushed forward to hug her brother but Jake held her back.

"Stanley, don't touch her. The rain may be radioactive." The farm boys once relieved face, happy to be out of the rain, turned into one of slight panic as the implications of Jakes statement sunk in.

Essie, after seeing that it was Stanley, looked around the basement for something that he could use to dry off with. She found a quilt in an old trunk and after making him sit down she wrapped it around him.

Jake couldn't help but noticed that Stanley didn't seem too surprised at seeing the formerly missing girl in his basement. That was just something else he would have to deal with later, now he needed the rain to stop so he can get the others out of the mine.

"Jake, I got your brother."

"Oh, thanks Jimmy." Jake took the walkie-talkie from the deputy and moved away for some privacy. In the corner of his eye he could see Essie watching him. _Probably wondering if I'm going to tell Eric she's here._ Lucky for her he had other things on his mind. "Eric, talk to me."

**We found dad. He's alright, just a bad case of the flu. Where are you?**

"Something came up; I'm at the Richmond farm. Eric, I had to blow the entrance to the mine. As soon as the rain stops I need you to grab some guys and go dig them out. They've been in there far to long."

**I'll do what I can.**

"Good. Is April there?"

**Yeah, why?**

"Stanley was out in the rain for about 20 minutes." There was silence on the other end. Jake was wondering if he lost the connection but then April came on. He explained the situation to the doctor and listened in fear as she explained what Stanley might be able to do to help his situation but if he began to develop symptoms then Bonnie's brother was most likely going to die.

Not long after that dire news the rain let up and the group made their way out of the basement. Jake, once again taking charge, instructed Emily, Bill, and Bonnie to take Stanley over to the medical center while he, Jimmy, and Essie would go over to the Salt mine to get the other group out.

Essie tried to switch places with Bill but Jake would have none of it. "Essie, you're going to have to face Eric eventually. Now we need to get going so come on."

Essie finally gave in and the three of then piled into the borrowed truck and drove to the mine. They had been working for about ten minutes before Eric and his team showed up. Essie tried to hide behind her hair hoping that her oldest cousin wouldn't recognize her but, no thanks to Jimmy, she was discovered almost right away.

The oldest Green was surprised to say the least but that soon turned into anger. He appeared angrier at her then he did at Jake when he first came back which surprised other man. Luckily for Essie, Jake was able to get him to focus on getting the people out instead of interrogating her about where she's been.

It took them about a half hour to dig a hole into the mine. The group was able to get the people out without any problems or panic but they weren't without casualties. Essie watched as Grey Anderson and another man carried a body out of the mine and placed him in one of the ambulances.

The sight of them almost made Essie sick. She knew coming back to Jericho would not be easy but she never expect there to be so much death. All of a sudden the events of the past two days began to crash down on her. Her breathing became labored as she tried to make her way through the crowd. She didn't get very far before her vision began to blur as well, her knees buckled underneath her and she fell hard to the ground. The last thing she heard was someone shouting her name then everything went black.


	3. The Four Horsemen pt 2 revised

Disclaimer: don't own Jericho but Essie's mine

Summary: When the bombs go off Jake isn't the only Green to return to Jericho.

A/N: Okey-dokey, another chapter up! Hopefully this will give a little more insight into Essie's character. Reviews and constructive criticism welcome. I'm always looking to improve. Hope you enjoy!

The Four Horsemen Pt 2

Essie woke up to the sound of rushing footsteps around her. She slowly opened her eye and discovered that she was lying on a bed in the medical center; the events of the day suddenly came rushing back. She tried to sit up quickly but was overcome by the sudden throbbing of pain in her head.

"Hey, careful." The familiar voice said soothingly, breaking through the haze that was Essie's brain. "You got a nasty bump on the head but you'll be fine." An older woman with short red hair came into view. It had been four years since she'd last seen her but she still looked the same.

"Aunt Gail?"

"Hey sweetie, I'm so glad your back." Essie almost cringed as she could hear the tears in her aunt's voice. She slowly lifted herself up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

"How long was I out?"

"Almost an hour." Essie tried to stand up but Gail held her down.

"I need to get out of here."

"Oh, no you don't young lady, you're staying right here. Jake told me what happened at the ranch." Gail said effectively cutting of any protests. "You need your rest and you're not leaving here until you get some." The Green matriarch was wearing her no nonsense face, her eyebrows raised as if challenging her to disagree. Essie let out a laugh which came out sounding more like a groan.

"I'm not back for a day and you've already got me on bed rest."

"Well maybe I wouldn't have to if you took better care of yourself."

"Hey," Essie cried indignantly, "I lasted four years on my own I think I can take care of myself." If that statement bothered Gail she didn't show it. She simply walked over to the window and closed the shades before turning back to her niece.

"That may be so Esther but you're home now. You will stay here, you will lie down and you will get some rest. Then perhaps we can discuss what happened four years ago."

"Gail, there you are," Dr. April Green said peeking through the door. "We're really swamped out here could you check on some of these people please?" Gail nodded and moved to follow her daughter-in-law. Before she left she turned towards Essie.

"Now remember what I said."

"Get some rest, I know." Essie said rolling her eyes. "Don't worry I will." Gail continued to stare at until she was satisfied that Essie was telling the truth then followed April into the hallway. "Just not here." Essie whispered to herself as she slowly pushed her way off the hospital bed. She felt a wave of dizziness as stood and quickly grasped the bed, waiting for her equilibrium to return.

Essie made her way through the medical center as fast as her legs could carry her, being careful to avoid any contact with her aunt. Once she got out into the fresh air she forced herself to slow down. She still felt weak on her legs but she figured it was because she hadn't eaten in many hours. She spotted Baileys Tavern across the street and decided to check in with Mary to see if the owner still had the food going.

Walking into Baileys Essie noticed that, even though the all clear was given not that long ago, the place was packed with people. She made her way to the bar where she saw the owner Mary Bailey hard at work pouring drinks and yelling at the roof.

"Hey Mary, you trying to make people think your crazy?" The women swung around, her curly hair bounced around her face as she let out a bright smile.

"So the rumors are true. Glad to see your back sweetie." Mary said, walking over to the youngest Green. "And no, I think you still hold that title."

"Hey, that was all Jake and Stanley's idea."

"It was their idea to jump off that building and onto that moving tuck in the middle of Main Street?"

"They dared me!"

"And you were the one who got the broken leg." Essie hung her head in defeat and Mary decided to take pity on the girl. "I got a couple boys up there trying to get a signal on the satellite. So what can I do for you girly? Now before you ask, I know how old you are and I can't serve you boozes no matter how much you beg." Essie made a face at the red head.

"Actually I was wondering if you had any food."

"Well I have some semi cold hot dogs in the back." Essie agreed and Mary went to the back to get her order.

Essie took this time to look around. She was able to spot many familiar faces along with a few new ones. She saw a few people from her school days in Jericho but every time she would make eye contact with one of them they would look away quickly and start gossiping with one another. Essie sighed, wondering not for the first time if it had been a mistake to return home. Mary came back with her hot dog which appeared to have burn marks all over it. The brunette looked up questioningly.

"I held it over a candle for a few minutes to heat it up." Essie couldn't argue with that.

"Thanks Mar."

"Talk to ya later sweetie." Essie spotted an open booth in the corner and sat down. She made it through her small meal with no interruption and, seeing as no one was fighting her for her seat, she pulled her hood over her head, put her legs up on the booth and leaned back, effectively keeping her promise to her aunt to get some rest. She was about to doze off when she felt more the heard someone come up to her booth.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Essie lifted her head and saw a short, brunette woman who wore a much too cheery smile on her face. She had a cast on her left leg and was holding two can's of soda, one which she held out as an offering. Essie smiled a little, taking the soda and silently motioned the woman to sit. "Thanks. I'm Heather by the way."

"Essie."

"Oh, I know." Off her look she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, I don't know you but I've been hearing everyone talk about you so when I saw you here I figured I would come and say hi. You know besides Jake Green coming back and, well, the bomb; you're the biggest topic in the gossip pool." Essie could only blink. Heather had spoken so quickly and so… cheery that it took her a moment to soak in what she had said, finally she let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah, I expected as much. So Heather, what brought you to Jericho?"

"A job, I work over at the school as a teacher. We were out actually on a field trip when the bombs went off. Our bus crashed, which is how I got this," she said indicating her cast. "And this guy, Jake, he found us and was able to get us back to town all in one piece. He saved one of my kids to." She looked down, unsuccessfully trying to hide a blush. "He's a real hero."

"He's my cousin." Essie tried to hide her smile as Heathers cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

"Oh, wow, that's cool. I mean, I probably should have know, with you having the same last name and all- I'm just going to shut up now." Essie couldn't hold back her smile now. She was really starting to like this woman.

"Are you in Jericho all alone or do you have family here?"

"No, I grew up in New Bern then when I went to college my family moved to Florida. I just moved here three years ago."

"Considering the way you talked about Jake I figure you don't have a boyfriend?" Heather blushed again. This was just too easy.

"Um, no nothing since college. I mean, Emily and Roger used to try and set me up but it never worked out."

"Who's Roger?"

"Emily's fiancé." The younger girl suddenly became quiet and had a slightly surprised look on her face. Heather was confused before it hit her. "Oh my gosh, you didn't know." Essie shook her head. "I'm sorry. I feel like such an idiot."

"Don't worry about it; I was just a little surprised that's all." And a little hurt but Essie kept that to herself. "I know I've missed a lot with being gone for four years so I expect I'll be getting a lot of surprises." Heather smiled at her in sympathy. The two fell into a comfortable silence, relaxing and nursing their sodas. Heather appeared to be thinking hard about something. She kept sneaking glances at Essie when she thought she wasn't looking. Finally she appeared to gather up some courage and asked the question that was going through everyone's minds.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, what have you been living?" Essie wasn't sure how she could answer that question. She knew that anything she said would make it around town by the days end and she wasn't sure she wanted that just yet. She was saved from answering when the door burst open and five of six men, led by Jake, made their way through the bar and set up shop around the pool table, laying out what appeared to be a bunch of maps.

Curious to what the men were talking about, Essie excused herself and quickly made her way towards the back of the bar, making sure to stay out of Jake's line of vision just incase he had any idea's of trying to shut her out. Not that he had ever done that before he left but she could see a change in her cousin. He seemed more responsible and more willing to step into a leadership position, even if it was unconsciously done. She found herself standing behind one of the columns near the table and focused on listening to the men's conversation.

They were planning on leaving Jericho. Going every direction and gathering information on the attacks. Essie wasn't sure what she thought about this plan. While information was a must she knew that it was probably very chaotic out there. She knew how out of control things could get when people panicked and she feared for those who planned to go out.

"Where are you going Jake?" And of course her cousin was one of them. Before he could answer, Emily appeared and announced that they would be heading to Wichita. She passed Jake a look which Essie couldn't read but he understood and agreed without hesitation.

A loud static sound filled the bar making everyone jump; The T.V. was picking up a signal. The bar occupants gathered around the bar watching as the screen showed an oriental man in front of a map of the U.S. with markers on it. The language was foreign but the map spoke volumes. It looked like at least 20 major cities were hit. Panic spread through the bar like wildfire. Essie's stomach clenched as she thought of all those people gone; friends she had made on the run, people who gave her a place to crash. She wished now more then ever that the electricity would come back on so she could make some calls.

"Hey, Essie are you ok?"

"Yeah, Heather, I'm fine." Essie's reply was so soft that Heather had to strain to hear it.

"Come on. Mary's got a map we're trying to mark the cities that got hit. We can use all the help we can get." The two made their way to the bar where Mary already had a map out. The three spent the next half hour going over the map, marking the places they remembered from the T.V. and talking about what this could mean for Jericho.

Jake came by after awhile to say goodbye, he and the others were leaving. He said goodbye to Mary then Heather before turning awkwardly to Essie who suddenly found her nails very interesting. "We'll talk more when I get back okay? Es?"

"Whatever." Jake stood there until it was clear that she wouldn't look at him; he said a quiet goodbye then, after throwing the others a sad smile, he was gone.

"Essie, sweetie are you ok?" Mary asked the young woman softly.

Essie didn't respond. She appeared to be having an internal battle. Before Mary could ask again the young girl jumped out of her seat and ran out the door.

Mary felt for the young Green. When Jake left the first time he hadn't said goodbye. With everyone focused on Jake's leaving or Chris's death (Chris was Emily's brother) Essie spent a lot of time hiding out at Bailey's dealing with her own hurt. Mary had tried to comfort the girl then but nothing had seemed to work. Then one day she just stopping coming and five months later she was gone. For Essie's sake she hoped that Jake would come back this time.

***

Essie ran out the door of the Tavern, looking around wildly for her cousin. She finally spotted him in a vehicle down the road talking to his mom. She took off at a full run, calling out to him. Jake turned around, a small smile pulled on his lips as he saw who it was. He opened his arms and she ran into them nearly knocking him over. People around them stopped to watch as the two once lost cousins shared a long over due hug.

Essie pulled away. "Try not to get into to much trouble."

"You to kiddo." Jake said with a small smile. "I see you when I get back." He gave her and Gail one last hug then climbed into his vehicle and drove off leaving the two Green women gazing after him.

"Well, nothings going to get done with us just standing here." Gail said, as she turned towards her niece. "And since you've obviously had enough rest you can help me." There was a look on her face that Essie had seen many times before; Jake Green wasn't the only one who had been doing some planning.

"What do you have in mind?" Gail laughed gleefully and wrapped her arm around the younger girl, leading her towards Gracie's Market.

"When was the last time you had a good Bar-B-Q?"

***

Hours later Main Street was filled with picnic tables and smoking Bar-B-Q's. Instead of letting all the uncooked meat around town go to waste the Green women organized a cookout for the whole town.

It brought back many memories for Essie from when she used to help her aunt set up the house for a dinner party. Gail was gracious enough not to mention their earlier scene or demand answers from her about her disappearance. Johnston had come by once to see how they were doing but after giving Essie a short, awkward hug and Gail a kiss he had to get back to his mayoral duties.

After making a plate for herself Essie made her way through the sea of tables looking for a place to sit. She spotted Heather sitting with a familiar looking man. She made her way over to them.

"Jake, you moron. You make it back to town in less then a day and you don't tell me?" Her cousin looked up quickly at her voice, a guilty look on his face.

"Es, I'm sorry I had to-" he was cut off suddenly by her arms around his neck.

"Thank you for coming back." Essie whispered.

"I've really missed you Essie." Essie straightened her food still in her hands.

"Mind if I join you?"

"No, go ahead." Heather quickly pulled out the empty chair for her to sit in. "So I hear we have you to thank for this little party here."

"Well, it was Aunt Gail's idea; I just helped her with it."

"Still, you did a good job kiddo." Jake said, ruffling her hair fondly. She slapped his hand away playfully. The three of them fell into an easy conversation, enjoying whatever feeling of normalcy they had left. Little did they know the road that lay before them and how much they would change because of it.


	4. Walls of Jericho Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho

A/N: Shout out to those who reviewed. You guys rock! The story continues right now….

Walls of Jericho pt 1

Essie sighed and took a long sip of her water; a small distraction from the disturbing video that they where watching at Bailey's. The same small clip over and over. People running for their lives, being chased by a nuclear explosion, then it goes black. Out of all the places she could have been when this happened she ended up not far from the place she ran away from.

Gail had been accepting from the beginning, welcoming her home with open arms and no questions. Johnston was a little more upset with her but all he said was that he was thankful she was back and then went back to work like nothing had ever happened. Essie couldn't help but think that, if she had come back before the bombs, he would have been a lot less forgiving. Eric and Emily were still avoiding her though. She couldn't get more then two words out of either of them. Jake persisted in his attempts to find out what she had been doing the last four years. He tried to get her to talk about what had happened at the ranch but for every question he asked she retaliated with one of her own. That normally shut him up pretty quick.

Gail had insisted that Essie stay in her old room. She tried to decline but in the end it was Johnston who settled it. "_It's not like you'd be the only former runaway who would be living under this roof._" His voice was gruff but he let a small smile show telling Essie that he had no problem with it.

The sound of the door slamming brought Essie out of her thoughts. It was Stanley and Bonnie. "Hey guys."

The two siblings greeted her; Bonnie sat on the stool next to her while Stanley sat on the other side of the bar next to Jake.

"How are you doing?" Essie asked Bonnie, signing.

"I'm fine. I still worry for Stanley though."

"Because of the radiation?" Bonnie nodded, casting a worried look across the bar. "He's going to be fine Bonnie. Don't worry."

The lights in the bar flickered warningly a few times. "What's going on?" Bonnie signed.

"The generator must be running low on gas." As if on queue the lights went out. Flashlights began flickering on in the dark as Mary called closing. Everyone slowly began to file out of the bar.

"Hey Stanley, mind if I stay at your place tonight?" Essie asked the farmer as he and Jake made their way over to the girls.

"Why not, it'd be just like old times."

"Awsome!" The two friends hooked arms and started skipping towards the Richmond's truck like two school girls heading for recess.

"What do you mean like old times?" Jake asked turning towards Stanley. While Bonnie and Essie had gotten along before he never remembered them being this close.

"After you left and Chris's death Essie started spending a lot of time at our place." Stanley said quietly so that the girl in question wouldn't over hear. "I heard she was getting in trouble at school a lot and wouldn't really talk to anyone. She started coming over a lot then staying over, sometimes for a day others for over a week. She and Bonnie got pretty close during that time."

Jake took in all this information solemnly, guilt washing over him as he began to uncover more on how his stunt affected his cousin. He saw Heather coming in their direction and waved her over. "Thanks Stanley."

Stanley nodded then turned and followed after the girls.

"What happen? Did the generator go out?" He heard Heather ask, her voice loud in the still night air.

"Nah, out of boozes." Stanley laughed at his friends reply. _That's Jake for you. Always the flirt._

"So ladies, what shall it be tonight?" He asks squeezing in between them. "Homemade popcorn or a fairly ripe apple pie that's been sitting on the shelf?"

"Popcorn." The two girls chimed together laughing. Essie loved hanging around the Richmond siblings; they always found a reason to laugh even in the most depressing times.

"Is that Heather I saw walking with Jake?"

"Yeah," Stanley said chuckling. "I think someone has a crush on the crazy Green." The three turned and watched the two as they walked down the street, laughing and flirting unconsciously. "Yeah, she's got it bad."

"Essie," Bonnie said turning towards the older girl with a mischievous smile. "You never told me if you _met_ anyone?"

"Hey, no girly talk! I got a reputation you know." Stanley protested loudly. After a slight pause he wrapped his arm around Essie's shoulders. "So, is there anyone me and Jake need to beat up?"

"Not that I'd let you." Essie said pointedly, "But I was seeing someone. We had been secretly seeing each for about a month when the bombs went off. He was a Deputy so he was pretty busy and a rushed over here pretty fast. You know the rest."

"Was it serious?"

Hey," Essie exclaimed, whacking Stanley in the shoulder. "I thought you said no girly talk."

"What I can't ask a simple question." Both Richmond siblings were looking at her expectantly, laughing at her with their eyes. She was saved from answering however by an urgent shout behind them.

"Stanley!" It was Heather. She came jogging up to them as fast as her injured leg would allow her. "Jake needs your help. Someone broke into the pharmacy and may still be in there."

The four of them rushed back towards Main Street as fast as they were able to with only one flashlight. They made it to the alley way next to the pharmacy before hearing Jake shout for help. What they saw upon reaching the broken window made them freeze in horror. Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, was a man none of them had seen before. His skin was red and covered in blisters and his hair appeared to be falling out; this man had radiation poisoning. Essie spotted Jake on the ground backed into a corner just out of the man's reach. He got up and examined the man from a slight distance. By this time Jimmy and Bill were also there.

Under protest from everybody around them Jake and Stanley picked up the sick man and began rushing him towards the med center. As they were leaving Essie turned to Bonnie; the girl's skin was white as a ghost.

"Bonnie." Essie snapped her fingers in the girl's face to get her attention. "We don't need to see this. Come back to my place."

As freaked out as she knew the girl was Bonnie shook her head. "I need to be with my brother." Essie nodded reluctantly and walked her friend to the med center but did not enter herself. The images of the sick man were so vivid in her mind that any thoughts of sleep were wiped away. She walked aimlessly down Main Street, having nothing to do yet not wanting to go home yet.

After about ten minutes of walking in circles Essie found an empty bench outside the barber shop and sat down. She just meant to rest for a minute but soon she couldn't keep her eyes open and she fell into a restless sleep.

***

The sun was just starting to rise as Eric Green made his way towards Baileys Tavern. He was exhausted after being up for more then 24 hours without a break. The man that Jake had brought into the med center the night before had caused quite a stir and to make matters worse the generator was almost out of gas. If they couldn't get enough donations from people then they were going to be in serious trouble.

Turning onto Main Street Eric saw a still form lying on one of the benches of the side walk. Coming closer Eric saw that it was his rebel cousin. When he first saw that she returned he was surprised. He and Essie had never been that close but he, like many others, spent months trying to find her after she ran away. He drove through all the surrounding towns, posting pictures on windows and telephone poles to no avail. After the second year of her disappearance he had given up on her ever coming back. But after the initial shock wore off all the resentment that he felt towards her came forward and he hadn't spoken to her since. Maybe it was petty considering the circumstances they were in but it was hard to let go.

Seeing her now though, sleeping uncomfortably on the hard bench looking older then her years, he felt his heart soften a little. He crouched down next to the bench and gently shook her awake.

"Eric?"

"You fell asleep outside." He said off her confused look.

Trying to clear the fog from her mind Essie attempted to sit up only to find all her muscles ached. Eric saw this and helped her up slowly.

"What are you doing out here?" at his question all the events of the night before came shooting the front of her brain.

"I didn't feel like going home after we found the guy last night so I went for a walk. I only meant to rest for a minute but I guess I was more tired then I thought."

"I was just headed to Bailey's for some coffee do you want to come." Essie looked up at her cousin in surprise. Was he serious? Eric smiled, assuring her that he was.

They walked to the Tavern in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Since seeing the man the night before Essie started thinking about her other Jericho relations. Since it appeared that she would be staying here for an unknown amount of time she should probably make herself known.

"Hey Eric, you still got horses out at the ranch?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I was thinking about heading out there for a couple days. Maybe do some riding."

"I think that's a good idea," Eric said slowly, "But I don't think we have enough gas to drive you out there."

"Does Gail still have our old bikes?" She asked as they entered Baileys.

"Ha, I'm sure. Mom never threw anything away."

"Well isn't this a pretty picture you two getting along." Mary Bailey said teasingly, meeting them at the bar. "What can I do for you?"

"Two coffee's please," Essie said covering up a yawn. "And make mine to go."

Eric frowned. "You're not staying?" Essie grabbed her cup from Mary and headed towards the door.

"No time to waste. Places to go, people to see." Eric and Mary watched his cousin walked out the door with a slight skip in her step; just like old times.

***

It wasn't until an hour later that Essie finally made it to the ranch. Finding her old mare Jinx she quickly became reacquainted with her before saddling up.

Galloping across the country, Essie just let everything go. Everything that happened before and after the bombs was cleared from her mind and for a few moments she felt peace.

She didn't know how long she had been riding when the compound came into view. Essie remembered spending many days here as a kid, just hanging out with her uncle and his friends. Even though everyone had warned her about spending too much time with her uncle, saying that he would corrupt her, but she didn't care. She would always find a way to sneak out here.

Slowing the mare down to a trot the young Green made her way towards the back of the compound. Tying up her horse out of sight she snuck around the side and underneath the old broken fence which she used to use as her own means of entry. Making her way inside she spotted some men in the corner, working on an old car. Upon closer inspection Essie noticed that it was Jakes old car. He had told her that it was left totaled on the road. _Leave it to him to pick it up a piece of junk off the side of the road._ She though amusingly.

Making her way to the old mans office she found the door closed and loud voices coming from inside. Looking around Essie saw no one else in sight. She walked up to the door and knocked three times. The voices on the other side stopped.

"Who is it?" When Essie didn't answer she heard shuffling and then footsteps coming towards her. The door opened revealing and irritated Jonah Prowse. "What?!"

"Hey, Uncle Jonah. I'm back."

A/N: Yea, another chapter up. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews welcome!


	5. Walls of Jericho Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Jericho but Essie's mine

A/N: Jonah is my favorite character! Sorry for the long wait and sorry in advanced for any spelling/grammar errors. They are not my strong suit….. enjoy!

Walls of Jericho pt 2

Previously on The Power of Green….

"_Hey, Uncle Jonah. I'm back."_

Now back to our story…..

In that moment of revelation the world around the uncle and niece stood still, nothing existed except for them. For a moment Jonah was too shocked to speak. Standing in front of him was the exacted replica of his late sister; the same hair, same stance, same face. The only difference was her eyes. Tracy's eyes always held such light and mischief but the eyes of the girl before him were worn and sad.

When Jonah heard that Esther ran away it almost pushed him over the edge. Not only had he just lost his son to a bad job and the love of his life the year before, but his daughter refused to have anything to do with him. Esther had been the only one who didn't see him as just a thief and then she was gone too. As he had years to think about it he realized that it had been partly his fault. After Chris's death he spent most of his time working and trying to reconnect with Emily that Esther had been left behind in her own grief. And he was certain the Green's hadn't been any better after Jake had taken off around the same time. Now four years later she was back just as suddenly as she left.

Essie shifted uneasily under his gaze and he realized she was waiting for him to say something. Getting his wits together he gave his customary smirk. "So the prodigal child returns."

Essie smiled though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I got caught in traffic." Jonah laughed at the joke and held his arms out which she quickly stepped into. It felt good to have one of his girls back in his arms. When his sister and her husband died there was an argument as to who would get young Esther. Jonah had wanted to take her but at the time he and his wife were having problems. Adding onto the fact that he already had a record the courts gave her to the Greens. Later he had realized that was probably the best thing for her but that didn't stop him from thinking of her as a second daughter. Jonah pulled out of the hug and smiled down at the young girl- no, woman he reminded himself.

"Great to see you again squirt."

"You too, Uncle Jonah." Jonah smiled, guiding Esther back into the office where some more familiar faces waited.

"Essie, you remember Daniel Lancer and Mitchell Caferty don't ya?" He said indicating an older man and another one around Jakes age. Essie nodded, smiling politely. Daniel greeted her enthusiastically, pulling her into a giant bear hug. Mitch just gave a crooked smile and ruffled her hair. Noticing how quiet Esther was Jonah sent the guys back to work leaving him to catch up with his wayward niece.

"Am I right to assume that I'm not the first one to ask where the hell you've been all these years?" Jonah asked taking his place behind the desk. Esther had yet to sit and was presently staring out the window.

"Congratulations, you're the hundredth."

"Well?"

"I thought Mitch was in jail." Jonah almost growled. His niece had inherited a double dose of stubbornness from the Prowse _and_ Green side of the family. She was worse then Emily and Jake combined.

"Don't change the subject young lady. You ran off when you were 16 and you suddenly come back and expect that everything will be the same? No questions as to where you've been? I don't think so." Esther shook her head.

"Of course I don't expect anything to be the same. A freakin' nuclear bomb went off and no one knows why," Esther fell into the seat across from her uncle. "Having something like that happen right in your backyard can change one's perspective. I wanted to make sure you guys were alright."

Jonahs expression softened at the weariness in Esther's voice. He could never stay mad at her. "Okay, squirt. I'll leave it alone for now. But I'll expect a full account one of these days." He grabbed some keys from his desk and went to a locker in the corner where he pulled out a shotgun. Esther's weariness quickly turned into a smile as she recognized the dark beauty. Jonah smirked as he handed the weapon to her. "I see you remember this?"

"You gave it to me for my 9th birthday," Esther said, stroking the old weapon, treating it as an long lost friend. "I used to come out here with Jake and you'd teach me how to shoot."

"Johnston was fuming when he found out," Jonah smiled as he remembered his old rival's reaction to learning his niece had a gun. Although he was pretty sure the anger came from the fact that it was a gift from Jonah then Esther actually having a gun.

"But that never stopped us from practicing," Esther became solemn. "I guess practice really does make perfect."

"What do you mean?"

"I killed a man." The silence was deafening. To say Jonah was stunned was an understatement. Though he was hardly innocent, Jonah had never liked killing. Once you took a life there was no going back. To hear that his Essie had… no, it was unfathomable. Esther was watching him closely for a reaction. Jonah schooled his features into what he hoped was an unreadable expressions.

"What happened?" Esther let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, thankful that he wasn't going to throw her out.

"After the bombs, I decided to come back to town but my car ran out of gas near the Richmond Ranch. When I got there some deputies were in the house." Esther decided not to mention Emily. "I knew something was wrong but I didn't know what. Then we heard over one of their radios that a prison van had crashed nearby and that the sheriff and a deputy were dead. I told Bonnie to run; one of the guys chased her outside while I was left with the other one. I pulled a gun on him, told him to stop; he wouldn't listen." Her voice was barely a whisper. "He didn't think I would pull the trigger."

Jonah's heart broke as he saw the tears begin to fall. He rushed around the desk and pulled her into yet another hug just as the dam on her emotions broke. He held her as all the built up emotions of the past few days finally came out.

He just stood there holding the crying girl. Finally, when it seemed that she was calming down he sat her down and knelt in front of her, making her look at him.

"Now you listen to me Esther. What you did was self-defense, it wasn't your fault. I know that may not help much but you need to understand. A lot of people in your situation probably wouldn't have had the guts to pull the trigger and then they would have been dead," she went to interrupt but he held out his hand. "The worlds a dangerous place and it's about to get worse. I'm sorry you had to go through this but I'm damn proud of you for being able to protect yourself."

The broken girl smiled at his last word and Jonah knew she would pull through.

"Now come on," he said standing up. "It's time to climb back up on the horse. Why don't we challenge these guys to some target practice? I'll give you half of my winnings when you kick their ass?"

Jonah could see her hesitation but she finally smiled and agreed. _That's my girl._

Esther took a deep breath as she rode back towards Jericho after having returned Jinx to her stall. The air felt surprisingly lighter than it had when she had first woken up. After her talk with Jonah they had done some shooting with the other guys. The first couple times she went her hands had been shaking a bit which caused her to completely miss the target. She had wanted to give up but with a little more coaxing from Jonah and taunting's from the guys she was able to calm down, after that it was like old hat.

She smiled at the thought of all the coins and nick-knacks that Jonah had given her from his winnings. None of the men who had known her before wanted to go up against her but she was able to talk one of the new guys into going up against her. He didn't stand a chance.

Thankfully neither Emily nor Jake and entered any of their conversations. Esther guessed that Jonah didn't want to dampen the mood again so he left her alone. Sometimes she wished that her family wasn't so messed up, that there would be a day when she didn't have to sneak out to see her uncle or walk on eggshells around cousins with touchy emotion (cough-Emily- cough- Eric). That's probably why she got along with Jonah and Jake best; they knew when to let her be.

By the time she got into town it was almost sunset. There were a lot more people walking the sidewalks then she thought there would be and they all seemed to be heading in the same direction. She spotted an African-American family near her and stopped next to them.

"Excuse me, where's everyone going?" For a moment the family just stared at her. The man, Robert Hawkins, Essie thought, spoke looking at her with a curiosity that made Esther nervous, "There having a memorial at the church; for the radiation victims."

"Victims? You mean there was more than just the guy from last night?"

"Yeah, about twenty." He waved his family on ahead of him. "The man told us that he had come with a group. We went out to find them earlier but by the time we got there they were all dead."

Whatever light had been in her mood early was dowsed with the heavy reality that they now lived in. her mind wandered to Stanley and she quietly sent up a pray that he would not turn out like those people.

The man was still giving her strange looks; like he was trying to recall her from somewhere.

"Oh, sorry," she said, holding out her hand. "My name's Ether Green. I'm the mayor's niece." Recognition flooded his face as her shook her hand.

"Robert Hawkins. You know you resemble your cousin a lot?"

Esther laughed, "Yeah, we get that a lot. If it wasn't such a small town they would have been confusing us as brother and sister." They certainly acted the same when they were younger.

"You also know there's a lot of rumor's going around about you two?" There was a gleam of amusement in his eye.

"So I've been hearing," Esther groaned. The man actually let out a stiff laugh at this. She got the feeling that he didn't laugh very often.

"Well, I better get over to the church before my wife started hunting me down. Your aunt has been asking around about you so you might what to head that way too."

"Thanks, Mr. Hawkins." He nodded and she took off towards the church. Hawkins wasn't kidding when he said Gail had been looking for her. Esther could see her aunts red head maneuvering through the people walking into the church, craning her neck to try and find her niece. Esther called out to her. The look on her aunts face made her feel like she was eight years old again.

"Esther Green, where in the world have you been? No one has seen you all day."

"I told Eric that I was going out riding."

"Yes, but that was this morning. You can't tell me you rode all day."

"I decided to hang out at the ranch. To take a breather, you know?" the lie rolled off her tongue so easily that Esther almost forgot that it wasn't the truth. She didn't like lying to her aunt but she figured that in this instance telling her aunt she was lazing about was better than telling her she spent the whole day with her criminal uncle.

Luckily, Gail seemed to except this excuse. "Let's go inside honey. The service is about to start." Even though she had heard what happened from the man Hawkins she let her aunt go over the events of the day. Soon Johnston stood at the pulpit and gave a solemn speech. He asked those to stand who lost a loved one in the attacks, then everyone who knew someone who lost a loved one in the attack. The whole church was standing. Esther hadn't exactly lost "love ones" in the attack, she never got close enough to people for that, but she had met some good people in her travels, and some she might have considered friends, so she stood alongside her aunt and cousin. She mind wandered back to what Jonah had told her earlier that day. The world was a dangerous place and it was just going to get worse. Esther prayed that there wasn't anything worse than what had already happened; but she doubted it.

A/N: Yea, I finished a chapter! Hope you enjoyed this. I know most of this chapter wasn't in the show but I love Jonah and wanted to give him a bigger role. I'm starting to get into a Jericho craze again so I'm hoping to continue Essie's story. Any suggestion for plot would be awesome as well. Remember to click and review!


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